By this time next week the 2024 election will be over and we will have a new administration ready to takeover the White House… Oh wait, that’s too optimistic. This is the election that will go on and on and on. All we can say is that whenever it resolves each side needs to do some soul searching.

And that includes all of us. The only way to end this madness is to stop contributing to it. At the individual level we can offer up rational discussions and we can support governmental and election reform. We can stop voting for people who perpetuate culture wars and absurd levels of pettiness.

The two major parties are behemoths that no longer serve the people they are supposed to represent. We need more choices at the ballot box and we can start at the local level.

So when the dust settles, come and join us at Coalition Purple. Let’s do something different. It’s time to come together and start solving some problems. We promise you’ll like it here. We are independent thinkers, we have a lot of fun, and everyone is welcome.

In this episode we reflect on our podcast journey. It’s taken us about a year, but we think we’ve finally figured out what we can do in future episodes to move things forward for third parties and Independent candidates. Check out the full episode for our ideas and let us know what you think.

We know this post-election reckoning is not going to be easy, and we are here to tell you not to get discouraged or demoralized. If you drop out of the political process, democracy fails and everyone loses.

Besides, there is hope! Bill has gone from yelling at his tv in frustration when candidates won’t answer questions to experiencing the thrill of voting for an independent candidate for the first time in his life. And why not take a chance on something you believe in? Fifty percent of people voting for the duopoly will have voted for a losing candidate. It’s just part of the process.

So after this election, take a deep Breath and get ready for a new reality. Polling shows that over 70% of people are dissatisfied with the direction of the country. So let’s start measuring politicians based on what they do and not what they say. Let’s get more politically engaged at the local level. And when the next election comes around we can all experience the thrill of voting our conscience.

Bill is back in town and ready to discuss the important issues of the day despite his travel-weary brain. He’s no longer feeling braindead after John piqued his interest in a couple of recent lawsuits related to campaign fundraising and transparency regarding how our tax money is spent. The takeaways this week are... If you have an email account that you are no longer using, make sure it’s not being used to funnel money to a political campaign. And, why won’t the California State Controller release requested state spending information to the Open the Books organization? What exactly are they trying to hide? Maybe they’re just embarrassed that they spent over **$103 billion** dollars on schools this year and they still haven’t removed the asbestos from the buildings. It just proves John’s point that the economy is not a simple concept because EVERYTHING is the economy. It’s the sum total of all our actions and inactions. For more of these philosophical nuggets, check out the full episode. ** John mentions a $75 billion budget. The current spending is closer to $104 billion. Source: https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4929 #GOP #RNC #DNC #independentvoters #democrats #republicans #nolabels #2024 election #forwardparty #commonsenseparty